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SuperMallen asks: "With the recent purchase of an iPod and iPod-capable car radio, I am realizing that I have reached maximum capacity in terms of what can go in my pants pockets. Given that I want to take both the iPod and my radio face with me wherever I go (along with my cellphone, Bluetooth headset, wallet, keys, and possibly a laptop with mouse, power supply, and whatever reading material I'm carting around), I'm thinking that what I need is a medium sized bag or backpack with pockets dedicated for this sort thing. What does the Slashdot community do for things like this? Any brands or models you have found work for you?"

Yeah, but then you'll just have one more thing to carry around, don't ya! Where you going to store a battery powered vagina anyways? You'd need a special hidden pocket in your tech-no-bag so that the other people on the train won't scream every time you reach for your iPod.

I used to carry around a bag with a USB hard drive, a USB thumb drive, a Cybertool, a cell phone (provided and required by work), a note pad, pens, pencils, and a Zaurus. Of course, I also needed the wifi card for the Zaurus, and the ethernet card with a cable, and a modem with a phone cord, just in case I needed to get in to work and there wasn't an access point handy.

That is not exactly true, many people with vaginas come with a purse that you can take advantage of. Once you marry a such a person, then you can also upgrade the purse to a larger, more convenient size. Of course this does seem like a whole lot of hassle just to have a place for your gadgets, so I recomend that you continue to just keep it in your pants.

I agree, I don't mind carrying a purse as long as it's not done to purposely exercise control. I've actually been with girls and had one of their friends show up with her new boyfriend in tow and heard the girls say "wow, that was fast, that boy is so whipped, he's already carrying her purse". How ridiculous, they turn something that normally wouldn't be a big deal into a removal of your self respect.

I hada a girlfriend ask me to carry her purse once in a mall. I amused myself by proceeding to examine the contents of that purse very publicly, with plenty of verbal commentary. I refused to give it back to her up til the point where there was a very real threat of bodily harm. Funny, she never did ask me to carry it again...

I wish there was some kind of hybrid between this and a mini trekker backpack (for photo gear). This bag isn't good for photo gear, but the trekker isn't good for carrying a laptop, and carrying 2 backpacks isn't an option...

The middle pocket is pretty sizable and should be able to accommodate a flat photo gear case. Something similar to one of those neoprene iBook skins except for photo gear. That way you could just pull the whole sleeve out of the bag when you need the photo gear and it would offer added protection.

I carry one, too. It's ok, but it's a tight fit for my:laptopcd caseipaqexternal usb drivedaytimerlaptop ac adaptercablesSeriously, I can barely fit a couple of books in there. I like it, and I'm considering some mods, like adding some of my own internal pockets (there's lots of 'em, but they don't help much with the "slide" problem, and the bag still gets thicker faster than it gets full).

Man, with all your eggs in one basket like that, if your tech bag is lost, you're lost.

Wrong analogy - eggs are identical objects, iPod and cellphone aren't. If you lost your cellphone iPod will hardly replace it. Then, it only means you will look after this bag really really careful. Based on my experience I'd say it's much easier to look after one object than after dozen. It also greatly simplifies decisions like 'Can I leave this bag unattended for just 1 minute?'.

"Have you ever noticed, that your shit is stuff, but that their stuff is shit?"

Maybe some folks carry other items not listed here that *are* important, but aren't necessesarily geek toys. I certainly know some diabetics that can't travel far outside without taking testing equipment and and medicines.

Winter's fast approaching. Wear a jacket with a few pockets for the next few months (not as much of a gadget geek here, but I carry darts, cigarettes, wallet, cell phone, etc without issue between my pants and jacket pockets), and do some research on good laptop bags in the meantime.

Timbuk2 [timbuk2.com] and Targus [targus.com] both have bags that have satisfied my needs in the past and currently (laptop messenger and sport deluxe bags, respectively). I still currently use the Targus backpack, as I tend to carry more books around, and it has plenty of pockets and elastic straps to carry all of my random junk, but I'm sure there are fancier models out nowadays.

MMales in the US are too self conscious to carry around hand bags, because they resemble womens' purses http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~creswell/manpurse.html [upenn.edu] I used to carry a fanny/belt pack whenever I was travelling, but my wife finally refused to go places with me if I wore it. The only workable suggestion I can give is some sort of a manly camera bag with lots of pockets and straps, such as something from http://lowepro.com/ [lowepro.com]

I've been toting my ibook, powersupply, mouse, ipod, stereo faceplate, keys, wallet, ipphone handset, a bajillion cables, pens, pencils, and course books in my spire bag for the past 3.5 years. Its a great comfortable backpack, feels like it weighs nothing when its on. They don't make the particular model I have anymore, it fit somewhere between the zoom and the meta. I think I paid $130 for it with some studet discount rate. Its a pit pricey but it will definitely last longer than any of the devices I

I've tried everything short of going out and buying a compartmentalized purse.
I've used a laptop-bag, a briefcase, several standard backpacks, a cd player case, a couple different camera bags, a zippered binder with extra pockets sewn in, a zippered business card folder with extra pockets sewn in, a crown royal bag (hey it was halloween), a jacket with extra pockets sewn in.
Nothing is overly comfortable for numerous pieces of gadgetry... though stooping to wearing a backpack is often the easiest solutio

I have my wallet, keys, and phone in my pants' pockets, optionally in a jacket pocket for quick access. The rest (notepads, iRiver HD-player, clamshell zaurus, generic charger 3-12V) goes in this bag [hedgren.com]. The pda goes in an inside pocket, the mp3 player in middle flap pocket with the remote control clipped on outside, the charger-thing goes in the bottom pocket. All papers, notebooks, and extras go inside in the main pocket (a bit more than A5-size). The top pocket is for random small stuff. If anything bigger

on both sides exactly fitting the stuff like cellphones and iPods these days, I can see no problem here. But have you considered swapping iPod+cellphone for mp3-capable cellphone, or iPod+cellphone+laptop for communicator?

Since I have a couple different laptops I drag around, and a plethora of task-specific widgets, I prefer using a "European Class Bag, available at most seedy Army/Navy Surplus stores along with equipment-specific sleeves. These bags are tough, versatile and nondescript -- making them ideal for "carrying my expensive geek crap without asking for a mugging."I consider the lack of specialized pockets and padding to be a bonus -- a laptop sleeve is better protection against the usual bashing involved in puttin

Does that car stereo faceplate really need to go everywhere with you? Why not keep it in your glove compartment or your trunk?

Same for the iPod - do you _really_ need to take it everywhere? It's a music player, not a binkie.

The Bluetooth headset can definitely stay in the car. That or just leave it on your ear rather than trying to find pocket space. If you're going to try to walk around like a wannabe Borg, you might as well look the part.

You do _not_ need to bring the mouse everywhere. $5 says your computer has a touchpad or one of those nipple things.

Not saying you have to get rid of all of this stuff, just saying it sounds like you're carrying around more crap than you actually need.

Anyway, if you are going to carry that much weight, I would strongly push you toward getting a small padded case for your laptop and then throw it into a backpack designed for backpacking. Most of the laptop and courier bags out there weren't designed with your body in mind. I switched to an innerframe day pack from REI for days when I'm schlepping myself around the city on my feet or my bike, and my back and shoulders have thanked me a thousand times over.

They have hard shells with special pocketed inserts for all of your goodies. I use my for my laptop and its accessories. Plus the straps and back of the bag are very comfortable. And they fit nicely under the seat in most airplanes.

I have a regular Timbuk2 messenger bag [timbuk2.com] not the laptop bag. It has a big compartment that's fine for my laptop and a book or two. There are several sleeves on the inside for dropping in my cell phone, keys, mouse, cables, whatever. Slings over the one shoulder well or over your shoulder and chest for hands free and secure carrying. Oh, and it's water resistant. I got caught in a downpour once or twice without an umbrella and it did a great job of keeping my stuff dry. I like it so much that I bought ano

I second the Timbuk2 recommendation. My wife and I each swear by them - she has the laptop one, and I've got the plain one with a 3rd party laptop sleeve inside - plenty of space. Get the cell/ipod case for the strap, and put your devices in there. Get 2 if you need them.

I, for one, am a minimalist. I hate taking a bunch of crap with me when I'm not certain to use it. That being said, I'm a grunt, too, so I have to carry a craptastic amount of items that I _might_ want/need. I honestly like the feel of cargo pants made from a khaki material. You can pick them up cheap at a lot of stores. Heck, my last pair I got at JC Penney's on clearance in the fatty kid's section.

If you want to have a "cool" solution, buy an assault pack. If you have a friend in the military, he/she can take you on post to get a really nice high-speed pack for about $140. If you get one from CamelBak (example) [camelbak.com], it will also have an embedded hydration pack (2 or 3 liters) so that you can stay hydrated. Yes, it's cool to drink water.

In Germany, where I lived for a spell, it was permissible for us young males to wear a small shoulder bag. Well, hell, I happen to be gay, right, but the straights were doing it too. It was INFINITELY more efficient than this pockets business every guy in America puts up with. (Or at least the guys here in Chicago.) I had my 'handy' (=cell), my keys, my iPod, my headphones, hipster PDA (http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-t he-hipster-pda/ [43folders.com]) and of course a broad selection of pens. And all in a cute little bag! So, red-blooded american mostly-males: Are you ready to hack gender normativity? Or are you TOO GIRLY to put up with some funny stares and SUFFER, like the 50's housewives whose conformity you ape?

Go to that store. Buy something cute. Put the iPod in it. No need to ask slashdot for silly permission or reassurance. GET A PURSE.

I am a 46 year old Alpha Geek/Yoga teacher. So, I've given some thought to the physiology of a gear bag.

My first recommendation is to only carry small and where possibile, hybrid gear.

Secondly purge your bag weekly.

Thirdly, a small bag with a well padded single shoulder strap seems to put less pressure on joints, nerves, etc. The older you get the more you will appreciate this. It is counter-intuitive but backpacks easily cause me more discomfort, even with a good belt.

AND I don't look like a total jackass wearing a leather coat in the summer!

That's true, but you still manage to look like an ass by calling yourself an Alpha Geek/Yoga teacher and using really odd emoticons like "(:-{p}". Or is that some arcane programming language of the late Seventies, grampa?;) SCNR.

I can't quite decide if you're mocking me or if you're taking my own mockery with a light heart... WRT (another one to look up?) my nickname, I wish there was some way to change it, but short of losing my friend/foe list, my history and of course my precious karma I guess I am stuck with what I came up with years ago. (Oh and this is horribly OT, etc etc.)

WTF do you think I'm carrying my lighter laptop bag? To get to and from work and side jobs as an IT consultant.

Your comment on what you carry implied you carried said bag every day. My comment on a laptop bag was that I carry it only occassionally, and I don't so much carry it as I do move it from my house to my car and then my car to my office. As such, it's not really a daily item, and thus was only mentioned in passing.

Oh. And the reference to "Yoga instructor" that flew over your head was that good ones study human anatomy.

Uh, yeah, flew right over my head. Then again, I might have been commenting on the fact that there's no way a yoga instructor needs to carry around all of the crap you mentioned. As you called yourself an "alpha geek[1] / yoga teacher", one can only assume that your occupation is "yoga teacher". But yeah, I could see how that could go over your head, thus making you think that the "yoga teacher"

Try this [redcross.org] Jesus Christ you child of rampant consumerism get a grip. If your pants won't hold any more crap maybe it is time to look at folks around the globe that can barely find water that is drinkable. If you are so lost that you cannot find a bag to hold your toys, perhaps giving to others is needed.

A company called Axio makes a great range of backpacks... I myself have a Tekno laptop backpack that I use when I'm riding my motorbike (most of the time these days) and having to carry around electronic gear for work.I recently took a motorcycling vacation in the UK, and I took my Tekno with me along with my laptop, various paper items, mouse, power supply, air/car power adapter, iPod Nano, noise cancelling headphones and all sorts of other equipment. My cellphone clipped nicely to one of the external ring

I telecommute and don't drive a car. I tend to ride a bicycle year round, (even in places with 1' of snow on the ground in January and December, studded tires are your friend). And I have to say, I technically live out of a Chrome messenger bag. They're waterproof, with a double lining, great single shoulder sling, with excellent center of gravity for weaving in and out of traffic. And they have a kick-ass chrome belt buckle across your chest. The large size expands large enough to carry several days o

Briefcases can make good gadget storage locations, because unlike most bags, they can absorb an incredible amount of abuse and still protect the delicate instruments inside. YOu can get most briefcases with a sholder strap for prolonged carrying. Plus, they look a lot more manly than a purse, and a nice silver or polished aluminum case even looks decidedly high-tech.

Make sure you buy something shiny, trendy, and thaty absolutely shouts 'I have lots of expensive tech in here, please mug me'. Logos would be good. Apple logos even better.I just have a standard 25-litre rucksack for carrying my tech. I have one of those tiny Sony Vaio laptops and it lives in a padded jiffy bag. I recently bought a new Pentax Digital SLR and I keep it in my old and dirty camera bag. Does the job and doesn't look like I've got a few hundred pounds/dollars worth of kit hanging off my shoulder

I have a bag similar to this - it's several years old so they don't make the one I have. It's got a laptop compartment, with a nice padded bottom and fiberglass insert that acts as a shock absorber for a laptop when I carry one. It's got two cell phone pockets on each side (one for personal, one for work).

The inside is nice - place for a pen/pencil (I like nice writing utensils so I carry my own...). Another nice pocket in front of the lap

Get yourself a batbelt.. heh.. most things have a pretty low batman factor these days, apple has come a long way with the new ipod and nano. Get yourself a razr phone, etc etc. That removes most of it.There's my favorite Tilley VOMP (vest of many pockets) that isn't too much of a fashion crime, but you're not going to look very good in the club with it on. The fact you're on here asking that question means that probably isn't relevant.

I've been saying this for years. Have a utility belt! The belt would come with it's own power and local area network infrastructure built in. Take the utility belt off, dock it and everything gets both power for recharging and a WAN connection. Un-dock it and put it on and you're ready in well under a minute. Hell if it's good enough for Han, Luke and Batman it's got to be great!